Furrow opener for planters and the like



June 13, 1944. H, HI I 2,351,173

- FURROW OPENER FOR PLANTERS AND THE LIKE Original Filed July 8, 1940 INVENTOR CHARLES H. WHITE Patented June 13, 1944 2,351,173 FURROW OPENERFOR PLANTEBS AND THE LIKE Charles H. White, Moline, 111.,- assignor toDeere & Company, Moline, 111., a corporation of Illi- 'nois Originalapplication July 8, 1940, Serial No.

344,310. Divided and this application her 30, 1942, Serial No. 487,450

Novem- 15 Claims. (Cl. 111-85) This application is a division of myco-pending application, Serial No. 344,310, filed July 8,1940, forPlanters, now U. S. Patent No. 2,322,332, issued June 22, 1943.

The present invention relates generally to agricultural machines and ismore particularly concerned with planters and other implements haV-- ingfurrow openers.

The object and general nature of the present invention is the provisionof an agricultural machine, such as a planter, having a new and improvedfurrow opener. More particularly, it is a feature of this invention toprovide a simple inexpensive furrow opener, especially adapted forattachment to'the shank of a planter sweep. Further, it is a feature ofthis invention to provide such a furrow opener with means 'to receivethe end of a fertilizer tube. Another feature of this invention is theprovision of a trash shield particularly adapted to be secured to thesweep shank in position to protect the fertilizer tube that is connectedthrough said furrow opener to said shank. Still further, it is a featureof this invention to provide a planter of the sweep type in which both afertilizer furrow opener and a fertilizer tube-protecting shield arefixed to the same side of the sweep shank.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will beapparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration -of thefollowing detailed description of the preferred structural embodiment,taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing inwhich the preferredstructural embodiment has been illus-' In order to illustrate thepresent invention, I

have shown at I the tool shankor standard of a planter, such as atractor mounted planter like that disclosed in my parent co -pendingapplication identified above. Preferably, the shank I comprises a pairof bars 2 and 3 suitably secured together and apertured to receive apivot bolt 5 by which a pair of curved tool-receiving shank bars 6 and lare swingably connected to the standard I The bars 6 and l are adaptedto receive a tool, such as a sweep 8, and the bars 6 and 1 are spacedapart to receive a bolt 9 securing the sweep 8 in place. The bars 6 andl are slotted at their upper ends and a clamping bolt l2 passes throughthe slots and openings in the standard bars 2 and 3 for frictionallyholding the shank bars 6 and 1 against pivoting on the bolt 5. if

The shank or standard I is mounted for generally vertical movement, andcarries rearwardly extending brackets [5 to receive a seed furrow openerl6, which normally is disposed rearwardly in the vertical longitudinalplane of the standard I. The latter also carries bars ll forming acoverer frame which may be pivoted on the bolt 5.

According to the principles of the present invention, new and improvedfertilizer furrow opener and fertilizer tube protecting means areprovided for attachment to one side of the standard I. A fertilizer tube2| leads downwardly from the fertilizer distributing means (not shown)and connects atits lower end to a fertilizer boot 22 which includes atube-receiving collar 23 and an attaching lug 24; As best shown inFigure 2, the lug is apertured to receive a bolt 25 by which the boot isfastened to a fertilizer furrow opener 21.

The fertilizer furrow opener 21 is of simple and inexpensiveconstruction and as shown is in the general form of a Z- plate, having aground engaging section 29, a horizontal boot-receiving shelf section38, and an upwardly extending attaching or'bracket section 3|. Theattaching section 3| is'apertured to receive bolts 33, which secure thefertilizer furrow opener to the sweep shank bars, and the sections 29and 3| lie in planes that converge forwardly so that when attached thefurrow opener section 29 is disposed at an angle to the line of normalforward travel. The section 29 is cut away forwardly, as at 34, to forma generally V-shaped furrow. The shelf section 30 of the fertilizerfurrow opener is apertured to receive the bolt 25, whereby the boot 22is disposed in the proper position, the lug 24 being formed-to liesubstantially against one side of the attaching section 3|, as bestshown in Figure 2. This prevents the boot 22 from turning out ofposition. The outlet 35 (Figure 1) of the boot dischargesrearwardly ofthe rear edge 36 (Figure 2) of the shelf section 30.

It is to be noted that since the seed furrow opener I6 isdisposed'rearwardly in the longitudinal verticalplane of the standard I,the attachment of the fertilizer boot 22 to the horizontal shelf section30 of the fertilizer furrow opener 21 disposes the fertilizer furrow toone side of the seed furrow, which is the preferred placement, yet thefertilizer furrow opener is a simple inexpensive part, easily formed ofsheet stock rapidly and at low cost.

Since the fertilizer tube 2|, at least the lower portion thereof, isthus required to be disposed laterally of the standard I it is deemeddesirable,

according to the present invention, to protect v the fertilizer tubefrom trash and dirt coming over the sweep 8 by means of a curved shield40 which has an attaching section 4| apertured to receive the bolts 5and I2 and by which the shield 40 may be secured to the same side of thestandard I against which the fertilizer furrow opener is secured, andsubstantially directly above the latter. The shield 40 includes aprotecting section 42 which is disposed in front of the tube 2| andextends well below the upper edge of the sweep 8. Like the fertilizerfurrow opener, the shield 40 may be formed easily and inexpensively fromsheet stock.

While I have shown and described above the preferred structure in whichthe principles of the present invention have been incorporated, it is tobe understood that my invention is notto be limited to the particulardetails shown and described above, but that, in fact, widely differentmeans may beemployed in the practice of the broader aspects of myinvention.

What I claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a planter having a tool beam and a sweep attached to the lower endthereof, a spout shield comprising a member having an attaching sectionand a laterally directed section adapted to be disposed in front of aspout disposed at one side of said tool beam, means for fixing saidattaching section to said tool beam so that the lower end of said shieldextends below the upper edge of said sweep and said laterally directedshield section is in front of and protects the spout from trash, dirtand the like coming over the sweep, and a furrow opener fixed to saidbeam behind the sweep and having a laterally extending spout-receivingsection below said shield in a position to support said spout behindsaid shield.

2. A fertilizer furrow opener adapted to be at tached to a tool beam,comprising a plate member having an upper attaching section, a generallylaterally directed fertilizer tube receiving section and a groundengaging blade section adapted to be disposed at an angle to the line ofadvance when said attachingsection is connected to said tool beam,

3. In a planter having a furrow opener shank and a spout disposed at oneside thereof, a spout shield adapted to be connected to the furrowopener shank of the planter and comprising a substantially flatattaching section adapted to be attached to-one side-of said shank and alaterally outwardly and rearwardly extending section adapted to bedisposed forward of the spout to protect the latter from trash and thelike.

4. In a planter having a tool beam, coverer frame means carried by saidtool beam, a spout disposed at one-side of said coverer frame means andsaid tool beam, and a sweep attached to the lower end thereof, a spoutshield comprising a member having an attaching section adapted to befixed at one side of said tool beam and a laterally: outwardly disposedsection adapted to bedisposed in-frontof the spout, and means 01 thelower end of said tool carrying member, a

planter furrow opener fixed to said tool carrying member substantiallydirectly in the longitudinal center plane of said sweep, a fertilizerfurrow opener comprising a fertilizer tube receiving and ground engagingsection disposed laterally of said plane and at one side of saidtool-carrying member so as to deposit fertilizer at one side of the seedand connected with the associated toolcarrying member at one sidethereof, and a shield attached to said tool-carrying member at said oneside thereof, above said fertilizer furrow opener for protecting thefertilizer tube when connected to the laterally disposed section of thefertilizer furrow opener;

6; In a planter having a tool beam and a sweep attached to the lower endthereof, a furrow opener connected therewith and having a generallylaterally directed tube receiving section, a tube connected therewithand disposed generally at one side of said tool beam, and a shieldattached to said beam in front of the lower end of said tube and belowthe upper edge of said sweep so as to protect the laterally disposedtube from trash, dirt and the like coming over the sweep.

'7. In a planter having a tool shank and atube extending alongside saidshank at one side thereof, a shield having an attaching section adaptedto fit against said one side of the tool shank and a generally laterallyextending tube-protecting section. I I

8; A tube-protecting shield for the tubeofa planter or the like,comprising a generally flat rearwardly extending attaching section and acurved laterally and rearwardly extending section.

9. A spout shield comprising a flat attaching section and a curvedspout-protecting section, the generatrix'of said curved section beinggenerally parallel to the plane of said flat attaching section so as tofacilitate forming said shield from fiat stock.

10. A fertilizer furrow opener adapted to be attached to a tool beam,comprising a plate mem ber having an upper attaching section, agenerally horizontal V-shaped shelf portion, and a ground engaging bladesection, said sections lying in forwardly converging planes. I

11. In a planter, a fertilizer furrow opener adapted to be attached to atool beam, comprising a plate member having an upper attachin section, agenerally laterally directed fertilizer tube-receiving section and aground engaging blade section adapted to be disposed at an angle to theline of advance when said attaching section is connected to said toolbeam, a fertilizer boot having an attaching lug and a discharge passage,and means connecting said lug with'said tube-receiving section so as todispose said passage rearwardly of the rear edge of said laterallydirected tube-receiving section. v

12. In a planter having a tool beam and a tool attached to the lower endthereof, aspout shield comprising a member having an attaching sectionand a laterally directed section adapted to be disposed in front of aspout disposed at one side of said tool beam, means for fixing saidattaching section to said tool beam so that the lower end of said shieldextends below the upper edge of said tool and said laterally directedshield section is in front of and protects the spout from trash, dirtand the like coming over the tool, and a furrow opener fixed to saidbeam behind the sweep and having a spout-receiving section in a positionto support said spout behind said shield.

13. In a planter having a tool beam and a sweep attached thereto, afertilizer furrow opener adapted to be attached to one side of said toolbeam behind said sweep, comprising a plate member having an upperattaching section, a generally laterally directed fertilizertube-receiving section and a ground engaging blade section adapted to bedisposed at an angle to the line of advance when said attaching sectionis connected to said tool beam, a fertilizer boot, means connecting saidfertilizer boot with said laterally directed tube-receiving section, atube extending downwardly at said one side of said tool beam andconnected to said fertilizer boot, and a shield also fixed to said beamand including a laterally directed section disposed behind and extendingabove said sweep and disposed in front of said tube.

14. In a planter, a tool beam having a sweep attached thereto, covererframe means extending rearwardly therefrom, a planter furrow openerconnected with said coverer frame means substantially directlyrearwardly behind said tool beam, a fertilizer furrow opener connectedto one side of said tool-carrying member so as to deposit fertilizer at;one side of the seed and connected with the associated tool beam at oneside thereof, and a fertilizer tube extending downwardly at one side ofsaid coverer frame means to said fertilizer furrow opener.

15. The invention set forth in claim 14, further characterized by a tubeshield fixed at said side of the tool beam behind the sweep but over thefertilizer furrow opener and in front of said tube.

CHARLES H. WHITE.

